MOVIE REVIEW: 'Chinese Puzzle' keeps you engaged and guessing

The biggest flaw with rom-coms these days is their incessant predictability. The French soufflé “Chinese Puzzle” thankfully avoids that pitfall by being consistently surprising. It’s also complicated, as the title implies, both in the intricacy of the story, penned by director Cedric Klapisch (“When the Cat’s Away”), and in the complexities muddling the life of the film’s 40-year-old protagonist, Xavier (Romain Duris).

At his age, all he asks is a modicum of normalcy to steady his hectic life as a Parisian writer with two small children, a demanding editor, a lesbian bestie (Cecile de France from “Hereafter”) who wants his sperm, and a live-in British girlfriend (Kelly Reilly from “Sherlock Holmes”) of 10 years who’s had it with her noncommittal beau. That’s why she’s packing her bags – and the kids – and setting sail for the Big Apple to wed a rich, hunky American (Peter Hermann).

If this were a Hollywood production, Xavier would drop everything, dash off to New York and fight tooth and nail to win the mother of his children back and live happily ever after. In Klapisch’s wonderfully warped world, Xavier does indeed reluctantly rush off to America, but not to be with his love, but to be near his kids. And if there’s going to be any “happily ever after,” Xavier must first overcome numerous insurmountable legal, professional and romantic obstacles.

In that respect, “Chinese Puzzle” plays more like the story of a stranger in a strange land who thrives on the generosity of other “foreigners,” namely the Chinese, in finding shelter, a custody lawyer and a job to make enough quick cash to pay the shady ambulance-chaser (Jason Kravitz) he hires. It also proves to be an ingenious way for Klapisch to explore the far-reaching effects of globalization behind the auspices of a transplanted quirky French farce. There are some snags along the way, particularly the film’s leisurely pace and overreliance on coincidence and cutesiness, but for the most part it works. And the reason it jibes so well is the superb cast of Frogs, Yanks and Limeys he’s assembled to affectingly flesh out his colorful array of characters.

At the top of that list is Duris, who possesses the physical attributes of a Hamm and the irresistible charm of a Clooney. He’s also a terrific actor, seamlessly oscillating between comedy and drama. “Puzzle” is his seventh film with Klapisch and their collaborative efforts are clearly paying off in this, the final installment of a globe-trotting trilogy that began with 2002’s “L’Auberge Espagnole” and continued three years later with “Russian Dolls.” Ditto for the series’ other veterans, Reilly, de France and the luminescent Audrey Tautou (“Amelie”), who steals the movie with her best work in years as Xavier’s horny, Mandarin-speaking ex-lover who comes to New York to sell tea, of all things, to a conglomerate of Chinese businessmen.

Might her Martine be the key to Xavier’s happiness? Or, will it be the beautiful, generous Chinese-American woman he marries in order to acquire a green card? Plus, there’s always the possibility he and Reilly’s Wendy could hook up again. Like I said, the beauty of Chinese Puzzle” is Klapisch’s ability to always keep you guessing – and laughing at the various indignities Xavier must endure to become a true American. Better yet, he envelops it in an infectious aura of charm, especially the way he lets us experience New York from the perspective of a French immigrant who left a beautiful home, a high-paying job and all the comforts of Gallic culture to live in one of the world’s largest, most chaotic cities with little grasp of English or our crazy American ways.

At times, us Yanks don’t look so good, especially our tendencies to easily yield to our tempers. But mostly the film makes you fall in love with New York all over again, while also delightfully reminding us of how high a price a person will pay to be with their kids. In Xavier’s case, that means giving up everything, but in the end, having it all.

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